Excalibur Vol 1 71
(story) | Editor-in-Chief = Tom DeFalco | CoverArtist1 = Joe Madureira | CoverArtist2 = Joe Bennett | Quotation = Odd how even in the face of tragedy, there are often such wonders--such miracles--to be found. | Speaker = Nightcrawler | StoryTitle1 = Crossing Swords | Synopsis1 = Nightcrawler tries to capture Spoor as he has been roaming Muir Island since the pulse that took out the security on the island. He tries to bargain with him and Spoor bickers with him and Nightcrawler then begins to get very angry and grabs a stone and almost bashes his head in. Shadowcat phases Spoor and Rachel hits him with a psionic attack that knocks him out. The group takes him back to Moira and she thanks them and takes him back inside to help to "cure" him of his evil ways. Suddenly, Professor X, Jean Grey, and Cyclops arrive and they announce that they have a plan that they needed to talk to them about in person. Five minutes later, Shadowcat is yelling at them that she will not betray Colossus in such a way. Their plan to use her to coax Colossus into coming to Muir Island so they can try to heal the damage done by his head trauma and while doing this try to turn him from the Acolytes that he has volunteered to join. Professor X pleads with Shadowcat to help him help Peter. On Avalon, the Acolytes watch as a transmission from Shadowcat comes through and is garbled but asks Peter to come to Muir Island and that Kitty is thinking of joining the Acolytes as well. Colossus tells Exodus that he knows that Kitty would not try to betray him and he also tells Exodus that he has made a choice and will not turn from his pledge to Magneto. Exodus approves his journey and then tells Colossus that this will be his last time to see those from his "past life". Exodus then secretly tells Voght that he is giving Colossus one hour and then needs to be returned to Avalon. In Camp Verde, Cable talks to Professor as he readies his weapons. He feels that Professor X is planning some way to try to get Colossus back and is going to try to get near the Acolytes because he has unfinished business with them since Magneto and Exodus attacked him on Avalon. The Professor tells him that there is a strong relationship between Colossus and Shadowcat. Cable tells him that something is not right though and tells Professor to bodyslide him as close to Muir Island as possible. Shadowcat, meanwhile, feels ashamed and guilty that she has betrayed Colossus, whom she loves. Nightcrawler discuss with Cyclops all the happenings of Excalibur in the meantime. he tells him that Captain Britain and Widget were lost to a chronological wave, Cerise is serving the Shi'ar, Meggan has become a catatonic water nymph at Brian's loss, Feron has joined her in this state, Kylun has gone off to search for his parents, and Micromax is looking for a job with the Brand Corporation. Outside, Rachel sits and sulks over being made fun of by Nightcrawler since she acts like a child around her parents, Cyclops and Jean. Jean walks up and talks to Rachel. She apologizes that she never acted like she cared for Rachel. She then tells Rachel that she has come to tell her that she is engaged to Cyclops and this means they are closer to fulfilling the eventual birth of Rachel, since she is from an alternate future reality. Rachel is happy at this news. Professor X calls on them to get ready for Colossus' arrival and Phoenix tells Jean to, "go get 'em, mom". Shadowcat readies herself for Colossus' arrival. He soon does in a puff of smoke due to Voght's teleporting him there. Colossus greets Shadowcat coldly. He says that he is happy with the Acolytes. He tells her that he is happy that she has realized the Acolytes' ways are correct. Meanwhile, Cable has made his way to a cliff on Muir Island. He argues with the Professor about having to search for the Acolytes. A voice suddenly tells him that he should just ask for help. Cable is spooked since no one should be able to get inside his thoughts in this timeline. A flaming hand comes out and grabs him off the cliff and brings him onto the mainland. It turns out to be Rachel. She tells him her name and Cable tells her it means nothing to him. Shadowcat and Colossus talk of why Colossus has joined the Acolytes. He tells her that Exodus has a firmer grasp of Magneto's "commandments". Professor X and Jean quarrel over trying to grab him at this moment. Colossus realizes that Kitty is not coming with him and she phases him so he cannot move. This gives Nightcrawler time to put shackles on him. Colossus is furious and Kitty sees this on his face. She feels guilty of her betrayal. Cable and Phoenix fight and Cable tries to bury her under a ton of rocks. Phoenix "jumps" ten seconds into the future. She also hears the Professor "talking" to Cable. She lunges at Cable and her body suddenly turns into Captain Britain. This surprises both her and Cable. Professor X and Moira begin their work on Colossus. Nightcrawler begins to see the need for Muir Island as an Excalibur base of operations. Cyclops uses his optic blast as a "scalpel" to try to heal the damage done to Colossus' head. Then, alarms go off and Moira says she rigged them to pick up Voght's powers. Nightcrawler goes to deal with the "visitors". Cable gets even more worried when Rachel's sudden transformation knocks out the Professor temporarily. He recovers and tells Cable that she was sharing the space-time continuum with another for a moment and this interfered with his readouts since she is also linked to them somehow. Rachel begins talking to Cable as if in a trance. She tells him, "I am here Askani'son, find me, help me." Cable is confused that she called him this name. She falls to the ground and Cable tells her that they are gonna have a long talk about what just happened. She then knocks him out with a psionic blast. Professor tells her that he will try to find answers to their connections but it can wait for another time. She goes off to help Nightcrawler and leaves Cable lying on the ground. The Acolytes have arrived and Nightcrawler meets them at the entrance to the Muir Island facility. He tries to buy some time and attacks them. Inside, Colossus finally releases all the energy that has built up inside him caused by his injuries. Kitty catches him as he collapses to the ground. He cries out and says that he should have been there for his sister before she died and Kitty tells him he was there in her thoughts. Cyclops joins the fight against the Acolytes. Colossus then appears and stops them all from fighting. He tells them all that he has made a decision to rejoin the Acolytes. He feels that it is his place and he thanks Xavier for all he has done and he does not blame him for his sister's death. He turns to Shadowcat and kisses her goodbye then goes and teleports with the Acolytes back to Avalon. Later, Nightcrawler announces to everyone that he has talked it over and decided as a team that Excalibur is changing their functions due to their loss of members. He says they are going to use Muir Island as a base of operations and says that they will be leading the "X"-teams in trying to stop the problems before they happen, rather than managing problems as they have occurred. They will be a "new" Excalibur team. | Writer1_1 = Scott Lobdell | Penciler1_1 = Ken Lashley | Penciler1_2 = Darick Robertson | Penciler1_3 = Matthew Ryan | Inker1_1 = Cam Smith | Inker1_2 = Randy Elliott | Inker1_3 = Randy Emberlin | Inker1_4 = Mark Nelson | Colourist1_1 = Joe Rosas | Letterer1_1 = Bill Oakley | Letterer1_2 = Pat Brosseau | Letterer1_3 = Dave Sharpe | Editor1_1 = Suzanne Gaffney | Editor1_2 = Bob Harras | Appearing1 = Featured Characters: * ** ** ** ** ** - ** - Supporting Characters: * ** ** ** * * Antagonists: * ** ** ** ** ** ** Other Characters: * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - Locations: * ** * * ** Items: * Vehicles: * | Notes = * Part 6 of 6 of "Fatal Attractions" crossover event * Wraparound cover. * Holographic "Nightcrawler" card on cover * Pencils (story pages): Lashley pages 1-8, 11, 17, 18, 21-23, 26, 27, 32-34, 36-39, Robertson pages 9, 10, 12-16, 19, 20, 24, 25, 28, 29, Ryan pages 30, 31, 35. * Reprinted in: X-Men: Fatal Attractions TPB - 1994 * Also includes pinup of Phoenix, , , , , , , and Nightcrawler on last page by Darick Robertson and Agop Gemdjian. | Trivia = * This is the first time that Phoenix calls Jean Grey, "mom". * This is the first time Cable and Phoenix meet, as adults, and they feel some strange connection to each other. * Phoenix first tries out her powers of "time-tripping" and also starts to briefly transform into Captain Britain as she does this. | Recommended = * X-Factor #92 - Spoor kills many humans. * Uncanny X-Men #304 - Colossus leaves the X-Men to join the Acolytes. * X-men #25 - Muir Island is hit by an electromagnetic pulse and the patients roam free. * Uncanny X-Men Annual #17 - Colossus suffers severe head trauma. * X-Force #25 - Cable is attacked by Magneto. | Links = }} Category:Fatal Attractions